


strangers waiting up and down the boulevard

by sevtacular



Category: Holby City
Genre: F/F, Minor Violence, Strangers to Lovers, Trains
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 16:42:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13574661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sevtacular/pseuds/sevtacular
Summary: Serena doesn't think she'll ever become interested in Jason's new hobby. Then she meets his new friend, Major Bernie Wolfe.





	strangers waiting up and down the boulevard

**Author's Note:**

> this arose from me procrastinating so who knows. the title is obviously from Don't Stop Believing.

“That’s where you are mistaken, Auntie Serena,” Jason says waspishly. “It is not childish or boring or for old men. It is an intellectually stimulating pastime which heightens my skills in memory, vision and logic, to name a just a few. Furthermore, it is a pastime which is horrendously overlooked thanks to stereotypes in popular culture which make it seem less exciting than it is. I thought you were in favour of challenging stereotypes.” Jason looks at her pointedly. “It also gives me a far better social life than you currently have.” He adds the last part out of frustration at his auntie’s apparent lack of response to his outburst, then sips his tea casually. Serena sighs into her morning cup of tea and looks at her nephew. He’s back reading Transport magazine intently, putting on a good show of ignoring her.  
“Jason,” she says gently. He doesn’t look up. “Jason.” She makes her tone firmer, and he looks up. “Jason, you’re right, of course you are. Have a good day, and make sure to text me where you are and when you are coming home. Have fun.” Jason smiles at her, his teeth showing.  
“Thank you, Auntie Serena. I’ve already packed my backpack so I can leave now. The direct shuttle bus leaves in eighteen minutes anyway."

-

Serena spends all day worrying about Jason. Alone and cold and outside. She hopes he has remembered to put his thick coat on or he will end up sniffling around with a terrible cold for weeks. Serena rolls her eyes and wonders why Jason couldn’t have a different hobby. One which involved him being safely indoors. Collecting coins or stamps or football cards would be a much better way for her nephew to spend his time, Serena thinks.

-

“Today I made a friend.” Jason announces to Serena when he walks through the front door, hanging his sodden coat over the radiator to dry out. It’s now been a month, and Jason has not yet given up on his new hobby.  
“Oh?” Serena says warily, instantly concerned about the type of person Jason may have been manipulated by at the places he now visits with his pastime. She diverts her attention away from her laptop and focuses on her nephew.  
“Yes.” Jason says. “Major Bernie Wolfe.” Serena’s eyebrows raise.  
“Major Bernie Wolfe?”   
“Yes. We had a most excellent time together. Major Wolfe is somewhat more experienced than I, so I learned a lot while there was nothing much exciting happening. We’ve agreed to meet again tomorrow.” Serena is a bit suspicious, but thinks an old man who used to be in the army probably isn’t too much of a worry compared to some of the people Jason has been led astray by previously. She vows to keep checking in on Jason and his new friend, but to leave him to it otherwise.  
“I’m glad you’re making friends, Jason.” She says, opening the next email from Hanssen.

-

Serena is cold and wet and hungry. Jason is also cold and wet but he is also supremely excited, hopping up and down on the balls of his feet like a somewhat overenthusiastic pupil. Serena isn’t sure how she let Jason talk her into joining him on her day off, but he seemed so thrilled at the thought of today’s event that she couldn’t say no. Also, she’s hoping to meet the mysterious Major Wolfe.

There’s more people than she was expecting, a good thirty or forty all congregated together, looking like a bizarre welcome party. Which, she supposes, they sort of are. 

Suddenly there’s a whisper of excitement which passes through the crowd, and the sight of smoke in the distance through the rain. An increasingly loud sound can be heard getting closer and closer, chuffing towards them through the driving rain. All too soon, a barrier of green is whizzing past them, and Jason is snapping furiously on his phone whilst chattering away with his fellow companions who are all gleefully chanting and shouting and whooping at the passing vessel. Serena tries to feign the same excitement as them all but all she can focus on is how cold and wet and hungry she is. She’s also trying to work out which man in the crowd is Major Wolfe.

She’s broken out of her reverie by Jason shaking her a little too hard.  
“The Flying Scotsman Auntie Serena! The actual Flying Scotsman! A real life piece of steam locomotive history! Did you see it? Wasn’t it brilliant?” Serena smiles indulgently at her nephew and nods.  
“Quite spectacular, Jason.”

-

It turns out Major Wolfe had not gone to Holby Central Station to see Flying Scotsman pass through on a rare journey. Instead, Major Wolfe had gone to the smaller, and more remote Holby Village Station to see the train go past. According to Jason, that way he and his friend could combine photos and sights from both sides of the engine at the two locations. Serena thought trainspotting seemed a lot more effort than it was worth.

-

Serena becomes used to Jason’s television viewing schedule now including programmes linked to his hobby. Great British Railway Journeys are a staple, as is The Biggest Little Railway in The World. Serena finds them tedious. The best one, she thinks, is Coastal Railways with Julie Walters. At least that one has Julie Walters. Jason loves them however, and Serena, happy to see her nephew happy, is more than content to let him spend his days scribbling into his notepad the identification numbers of the trains which pass through the stations of Holby City and his nights oohing and aahing at the various engines on the television programmes which he watches. She just vows she will never be going on another trainspotting adventure with him. She’s not sure anything could ever make her want to spend her life waiting for trains to pass.

-

Serena sips her chamomile tea and looks out into the garden. It’s a nice sunny day, and she’s pleased to have a day off to relax and unwind. Jason’s off out trainspotting again, in a chipper mood because Serena was able to make him his favourite cheese and egg sandwich for his packed lunch. Serena smiles to herself at the thought of how much her nephew has taken to his new hobby. It’s certainly lasted longer than football and the Romans did. Her phone chirrups from where it is charging on the kitchen counter, so Serena picks it up, frowning slightly when she sees it is Jason calling.   
“Jas-” She doesn’t even get to finish her sentence because Jason is shouting down the phone at her, clearly in a state of great distress.  
“Auntie Serena you need to come quickly! Major Bernie’s injured! We came to Holby Village Station to do some more rural spotting of the less mainstream trains and some boys attacked us and now Major Bernie can’t move!” Serena is already pulling on her coat and shoes as Jason continues. He’s clearly been shaken by the event and it sounds as if his friend is in a bad state. Serena has pictures in her head of an elderly man stuck on the floor, unable to get his frail body to stand.   
“Okay Jason, don’t you worry, I’m on my way. Call an ambulance too.”

-

Serena’s at Holby Village Station in under twenty minutes, thanks to some slight breaking of the law with regards to her driving which she hopes no police officer saw. But right now, she’s more concerned about the state of her nephew and his friend.

Serena dashes down the cobbled steps from the small carpark and onto the main platform of the village station. She hears a shout and realises that Jason and his friend are on the other side of the tracks, on the smaller platform for those wishing to travel in the opposite direction, away from Holby City. She dashes across the rickety footbridge over the tracks and down again, Jason meeting her at the bottom of the steps looking startled. He’s got a small but rapidly purpling bruise under his eye but seems to be otherwise fine, which is more than can be said for the crumpled heap of a figure on the cold floor ten metres away from them. Jason pulls her over to his friend and suddenly Serena finds herself at a loss for words.

Major Bernie Wolfe is not the old man Serena had been expecting. Major Bernie Wolfe is, in fact, an attractive blonde woman of about Serena’s age. An attractive blonde woman who is currently hissing in pain. Serena crouches beside her and begins an examination.  
“Dislocated shoulder and a few broken ribs, I think.” Serena says, feeling the woman’s torso. “And, if I were to take a look under all of these clothes, I would be willing to bet that you’ve got some rather serious bruising too.” The woman smiles weakly, clearly in a lot of pain.  
“I know soldiers as seen as cheap dates but I’d rather wait until the third date before you undress me.” Serena splutters and looks away, her cheeks flaming. Bernie tries to laugh but stops when it evidently causes too much pain. Serena distracts herself from the thought of dating this beautiful woman by asking what exactly happened.  
“I was waiting for a train to come through when some boys came,” Jason says, holding Serena’s sleeve to ground himself as he recalls the painful memories. “They asked me if I wanted to join their gang and I said no thank you. They asked why I didn’t want to be cool and throw rocks at the trains with them. I said it was disrespectful and an act of vandalism. They called me some not very nice names and then one of them punched me in the face. Then Bernie came back from the toilet across the tracks and saw them so ran across the bridge to help me. They tried to push her onto the tracks but she managed to not fall off the edge but then they were able to push her to the ground and started kicking her. One of them tried to hurt me again but Major Wolfe tripped him up and then the train came through so they ran away.” 

Serena is nothing short of horrified by this tale. She turns back to the woman on the floor and strokes her fringe back from her face.  
“Thank you for protecting Jason. It was very brave of you to do.” Bernie smiles weakly and Serena bends to press a kiss to her lips. It is a gentle one but it feels like the right thing to do. They smile at each other, Serena’s fingers lightly playing with the mussed blonde hair behind where her hand is cupped around Bernie’s cheek.

The paramedics then arrive to take Bernie and Jason to the hospital, where they are told the police will meet them and ask for statements. Serena promises that she will drive back to the hospital with them and wait while they have their respective treatments. Bernie seems to like the thought of that. Serena squeezes her hand before going back to her car, Jason choosing to ride to A&E with her.

-

They end up on AAU (of course they do, Serena thinks). Ric’s on the ward today, and seems very surprised when Serena shows up with Jason holding an ice pack over his face.  
“Serena, everything okay?”  
“Ric, was a woman recently admitted with fractured ribs?”  
“Yes, bed six, do you know her?” Ric seems a little confused. Serena sighs.  
“In a way. We’ll wait with her until the police come for statements.”

Serena hurries over to the correct bed with Jason, leaving Ric stood staring after them wearing a bemused expression on his face.

-

Bernie dislikes being in hospital and Serena dislikes Bernie being in hospital, that much is clear. Serena double checks every single test and observation which occurs and Bernie moans that she would much rather not be in hospital. Serena strokes her hair soothingly and tells her that she’ll be all patched up soon enough.  
“I’ve been patched up too many times. The only reason I’m so bloody frail right now is because I was last patched up six months ago. I just want to enjoy my retirement.” Bernie mutters angrily. Serena checks her notes and realises that Bernie’s recent ‘patching up’ was actually spine and heart surgery. A little more than a broken leg, then.  
“Bernie, do you have anyone at home who can look after you?”  
“No, Bernie lives alone on the third floor of a block of flats. She says she can manage just fine. She took up trainspotting again seriously in Holby City as a way to stop herself getting bored in the house though. Apparently, she gets too many nuisance insurance calls and she can ignore them when she is out.” Jason supplies helpfully. Clearly living arrangements has been a previous topic of conversation during their trainspotting jaunts. Bernie looks mortified at Jason telling all of this to his auntie. Serena simply tuts kindly and rubs her hand across Bernie’s collarbone, her heart swelling with fondness for the batter soldier she barely knows who is lying before her.  
“You can’t manage just fine in your current state. You’re either going to have to stay in here or allow somebody else to help you.”  
“I’m not having a bloody carer!” Bernie snarls, then grits her teeth against the pain of her injuries.  
“I was more thinking that you come back home with me,” Serena says, raising an eyebrow to dare Bernie to refuse.  
“You’re awfully keen, first trying to undress me and now inviting me back to yours. We still haven’t had a date yet.” Bernie’s smirking though, and Serena knows that she feels the connection between them too, knows she won’t refuse the offer of spending more time with Serena.

They spend the afternoon holding hands and talking with Jason as Ric and the F1s sort out Bernie’s injuries and paperwork so she can be discharged. When Ric asks where she’ll be staying, Bernie is the first to say she’s going back to Serena’s. Serena ignores Ric’s raised eyebrows and helps Bernie out of bed and down to her car, Jason chattering along happily beside them.

-

Serena stands on the platform, grateful that the weather is not too cold. She’s wrapped up in her red coat and fur hat, so is more than prepared to face the harsh winter elements. On the opposite platform, Jason waves animatedly from where he is stood, camera round his neck and notebook in his hands. A pair of arms snake their way around Serena’s waist and she leans back into the warm body behind her gratefully. It’s actually rather nice, this spending a day off trainspotting thing. The platform announcement foretells the arrival of the next train, and with a quick kiss to Serena’s neck, Bernie pulls her camera from off her shoulder and awaits the arrival of the 11:59 to Holby Central. The train pulls in and Bernie snaps its serial number as Jason does the same on the other side. Holby Rail have just started using some newer trains which is an exciting development for people like Bernie and Jason. They have spent a good number of hours in Serena’s kitchen discussing the newer, more aerodynamic shape and the quality of the engineering. Serena just hopes the seats are comfortable if she never needs to board one.

The train pulls out of the station, and Serena looks at her partner of the last six months, the winter sunlight dappling across her golden hair. Across the platform, her nephew grins at them both and waves. Bernie returns and takes her hand and Serena holds on tight. She had thought she would spend a lifetime waiting for love, but now she’s going to spend the rest of her life waiting for trains to pass, with the love of her life beside her. Serena smiles. Her life is definitely on the right track.

**Author's Note:**

> hey look a trainspotting AU! because the fandom needed one of those right?


End file.
